“A Mans Best Friend”
Aug 14 2009
My dog loves going to the dog park. It has become a Saturday morning and Sunday morning ritual for us. After a quick stop at the local coffee shop to get a large coffee we head to the dog park. A visit to this park allows my dog to go off leash, gets loads of exercise and to socialize with other dogs. It also gives me a chance to catch up with my neighbors and get a good dose of local gossip.
We both enjoy our weekend routine - my dog gets lots of exercise and socialization, and I enjoy my coffee and do some socialization of my own. It’s a great break for both of us. Unfortunately there are several times during the year that it seems inevitable that my dog would come home with fleas. I wouldn’t really notice at the time, but through the week I’d notice some scratching, and think ‘oh no, fleas again’.
After I started to notice a connection with having fleas and going to the dog park, we stopped going to the dog park. The reaction was not well thought out. After a few months of avoiding the dog park, I seemed to notice that my dog was gaining weight and was generally a bit slower getting off the couch. I was feeling pretty guilty about boycotting the dog park so perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me. I decided we would go back to the dog park.
I called my dog groomer for advice. How could we enjoy our weekend trips to the dog park and avoid getting fleas? The dog groomer was full of good ideas. She knew that I was a believer in non toxic and organic living so I needed an all natural flea prevention solution. Thankfully, those solutions are pretty common and easy to apply.
I started to feed my dog a wee bit of garlic with his wet food every morning. The groomer told me that in a matter of days the garlic will start to be emitted through my dogs skin and saliva. The smell is imperceptible to humans but acts as a significant flea deterrent. She was right. At least, I have not noticed any fleas after going to the dog park. As an added precaution, I dosed a bandanna in some citronella oil and tied it around my dog’s neck. My dog doesn’t seem to mind the smell and it helps to repel fleas.
Now we are both back to enjoying our regular weekend routine at the dog park, without fear of picking up fleas and bringing them back home. I’m happy to have found a natural flea repellent, and I know my dog is just happy that she gets to go out play with all her friends every weekend again, even if they might have fleas.
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